Die casting, in the alloy your part actually needs.

Complex, thin-walled metal parts cast to near-net shape at series volume — in aluminum, magnesium or zinc/Zamak — with the steel die built in-house, and machining and finishing under the same quote.

Get my die casting quote →See alloys & tooling ↓

Quick definition

Die casting forces molten metal — an aluminum, magnesium or zinc alloy — under high pressure into a hardened steel die, producing complex, thin-walled metal parts to near-net shape at series volume. It is how housings, brackets and structural metal parts get made by the thousand without machining each one from solid.

Cast metal, at volumeThree alloys, matched to the part
AluminumAlSi10Mg · AlSi12Strong, light housings
MagnesiumAM60B · AZ91DLightest structural metal
Zinc / ZamakZamak 3/5 · ZA-8Fine detail, polishable
Cast to net shape, then machined and finished under one quote.
3 alloy familiesaluminum, magnesium and zinc/Zamak — matched to the part, not sold as one default
Near-net shapethin walls and complex geometry cast in, so there is little left to machine
Steel dieshardened production dies, designed and built in-house for repeatability
Series volumecost per part drops as the die amortizes across the production run

Matched to the job, not sold as one alloy

A casting is more than a shape in metal.

Most die casters push one alloy for every part, quote the die as a black box, and hand back a raw casting for you to machine and finish elsewhere. Send the same part to OperGo and an engineer matches the alloy to what it has to do, builds the steel die in-house, and machines and finishes the casting under one quote — and tells you when sand casting or MIM would be the better route.

One alloy, black-box die
  • One alloy offered for every part, whatever it actually has to do
  • The die quoted as a black box, with no in-house control of the tooling
  • Machining and finishing of the casting sourced as separate steps and suppliers
  • No guidance on when sand casting or MIM would be the cheaper, better call
The OperGo way
  • Alloy matched to the part — strength-to-weight, corrosion, fine detail or cost
  • The steel die designed and built in-house, not subcontracted out of sight
  • Critical dimensions machined and the part finished under the same quote as the casting
  • An engineer who tells you when sand casting or MIM fits the part better

What we run

Three alloys, one steel die, matched by function.

Aluminum die casting

AlSi10Mg(Fe), AlSi12(Fe), AlSi9Cu3(Fe) and AlMg3 — the strength-to-weight workhorses for thin-walled housings, brackets and enclosures.

Magnesium die casting

AM60B and AZ91D — the lightest structural metals cast, roughly a third lighter than aluminum, where every gram counts.

Zinc / Zamak die casting

Zamak 3, Zamak 5 and ZA-8 — cast with the finest detail and best dimensional stability, ready to polish or plate for fittings and hardware.

In-house steel dies

The hardened production die that makes it repeatable — designed and built in-house, the same tooling operation that runs our injection molds and stamping dies.

The spec sheet

Alloys, grades and tooling.

Alloys & tooling · Die Castingnet shape
Aluminum alloysAlSi10Mg(Fe), AlSi12(Fe), AlSi9Cu3(Fe) and AlMg3 — the strength-to-weight standards for thin-walled housings, brackets and enclosures.
Magnesium alloysAM60B (more ductile) and AZ91D — the lightest structural metals cast, roughly a third lighter than aluminum for the same part.
Zinc / ZamakZamak 3, Zamak 5 and ZA-8 — cast with the finest detail and best dimensional stability, and readily polished or plated for decorative and functional hardware.
ToolingA hardened steel production die, designed and built in-house. A one-time tooling cost that amortizes down per part with volume — the same tooling economics as an injection mold or a stamping die.
Post-processingCritical dimensions machined to tolerance after casting, and finishing — deburring, polishing, plating or painting — applied under the same quote, so the part leaves ready to use.

Full range of materials and finishes on Materials & finishes →

Picking a process

Die casting is the right call — until volume or size says otherwise.

Die casting vs. injection molding →

Same idea — molten material forced into a die under pressure — but die casting runs metal, injection runs plastic. If the part can be plastic, injection is cheaper; if it has to be metal, die casting gets you there at volume.

Die casting vs. CNC machining →

Casting produces the complex shape to near-net at volume; CNC machines each part from solid stock. Below a few hundred parts, machining usually wins; above it, the steel die pays for itself.

Die casting, sand casting or MIM?

Die casting suits thin-walled metal parts at series volume; sand casting suits large, low-volume castings; MIM suits small, precise, complex ones. Send the part and an engineer picks the casting route that actually fits — this page does not lock you in.

Die casting, answered

What metals can you die cast?

Aluminum (AlSi10Mg, AlSi12, AlSi9Cu3, AlMg3), magnesium (AM60B, AZ91D) and zinc/Zamak (Zamak 3, Zamak 5, ZA-8). Aluminum is the strength-to-weight workhorse, magnesium the lightest structural option, and Zamak the one for fine detail and a polishable, plateable finish.

When is die casting cheaper than CNC machining?

Once you're past roughly a few hundred parts. Die casting carries an up-front steel-die cost but then produces each part fast and to near-net shape; CNC has no tooling cost but machines each part from solid, so its per-part cost stays flat. Above the crossover volume, the die pays for itself.

Die casting vs. sand casting — which do I need?

Die casting is for thin-walled, complex metal parts at series volume, in a reusable steel die. Sand casting is for larger, lower-volume castings in a cheap, expendable sand mold, and holds looser tolerances. If the part is big or the run is short, sand casting is usually the better call.

Do you build the die in-house?

Yes. The hardened steel die is designed and built in-house — the same tooling operation that runs our injection molds and stamping dies — so tooling and production stay under one roof and one point of accountability.

How light is magnesium die casting?

Magnesium (AM60B, AZ91D) is the lightest structural metal cast, roughly a third lighter than aluminum for the same part, which is why it shows up in cases and brackets where weight is the whole point.

Can die-cast parts be machined and finished?

Yes — critical dimensions are machined to tolerance after casting, and finishing (deburring, polishing, plating or painting) is applied under the same quote, so the part leaves ready to use rather than as a raw casting.

What if die casting isn't right for my part?

Then your engineer says so at quoting and points you to the process that fits — sand casting for a large, low-volume part, MIM for a small precise one, CNC if the run is short. Opening this page does not commit you to die casting.

Die casting vs. injection molding →

Metal vs plastic — the same pressure-into-a-die idea.

The die behind the part →

How the hardened steel production die is designed and built in-house.

See all capabilities →

CNC, injection molding, sheet metal and everything else we run.

Materials × process

Materials we run in die casting.

Sourced, produced and finished under one quote. Tap a material to see the other processes it runs on — material and process are two axes you combine, not one nested inside the other.

AluminumAll materials & finishes →

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